1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to solar panels and more specifically to an improved arrangement of a solar cell and reflector in a module or panel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is a significant interest in the commercial application of solar energy. One of the main obstacles to widespread use of solar energy is the high cost of solar devices, especially solar photovoltaic cells. This is because of the relatively high cost of materials used to convert solar energy (especially relative to reflector material). It is well known in the art to use a solar cell for intercepting sunlight and producing energy of thermal or electrical nature (or a combination of both). A solar cell generally can mean a receiver or thermal absorbing plate (for solar thermal applications) or a solar photovoltaic cell (for solar electrical applications). Cells are frequently connected or joined to other cells either in parallel or in series within a single plane like tiles on a floor, and once a useful number of them are assembled, they are generally enclosed in what is commonly called a module.
A module normally has a transparent cover, parallel to and above the plane of the solar cells, which allows sunlight to enter the module and strike the solar cells. The module will frequently have sides and a backing plate that define a weather tight enclosure that help shield the solar cell from the elements.
The prior art contains many examples of arranging the solar cells within a module. Reflectors are frequently used to minimize regions between active solar cells where entering sunlight would produce no energy. Much of the prior art assumes the solar cells are arranged in a single plane normal to the incoming sunlight and parallel to the transparent cover, such as: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,528,716 and 4,316,448 Disadvantages of these types of arrangements primarily include the inefficient or wasteful use of expensive materials.
The prior art also contains examples of more complex geometries where a significant portion of incoming light is reflected from one or more surfaces onto the cell. Some examples of this are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,538,563, 4,471,763 and 2,904,612 Disadvantages of these types of arrangements are complex geometries or the requirement of mechanical tracking systems which add to the cost of system manufacture and maintenance.
A reflector and solar collector in an angular orientation is taught by Epsy in U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,282. U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,282 is hereby incorporated by reference. Espy teaches a complex and variable geometry that depends on user location, which makes mass production difficult. Furthermore, the arrangement described by Espy does not contain protection for the reflector or collector surfaces. The result is that one or both of these surfaces can be easily damaged by the elements.